WASHINGTON — Widening an explosive debate on torture, President Barack Obama on Tuesday opened the possibility of prosecution for Bush-era lawyers who authorized brutal interrogation of terror suspects and suggested Congress might order a full investigation.Less than a week after declaring it was time for the nation to move on rather than "laying blame for the past,” Obama found himself describing what might be done next to investigate what he called the loss of "our moral bearings.”
Obama is feeling pressure from his party’s liberal wing to come down hard on the subject. At the same time, Republicans including former Vice President Dick Cheney are insisting the methods helped protect the nation.
They also are assailing Obama for revealing Justice Department memos detailing them.
Answering a reporter’s question Tuesday, Obama said it would be up to his attorney general to determine whether "those who formulated those legal decisions” behind the interrogation methods should be prosecuted.
by the associated press
Obama is feeling pressure from his party’s liberal wing to come down hard on the subject. At the same time, Republicans including former Vice President Dick Cheney are insisting the methods helped protect the nation.
They also are assailing Obama for revealing Justice Department memos detailing them.
Answering a reporter’s question Tuesday, Obama said it would be up to his attorney general to determine whether "those who formulated those legal decisions” behind the interrogation methods should be prosecuted.
by the associated press
